This invention relates to lamps and, more particularly, to a novel and useful device for shock mounting a lamp within housing means for a lamp that is particularly intended for use with motorized vehicles, such as farm tractors and other vehicles designed for cross-country travel, as well as over-the-road trucks and the like.
Many lamps are used on motor vehicles and are, as a result, subject to frequent vibrations and mechanical shocks. Unless the incandescent filaments of such lamps are protected from such vibrations and shocks, they may fail quite rapidly.
In the past, several forms of prior-art devices have been provided for "shock mounting" a lamp within housing means for a lamp. Typical forms of such prior-art lamp, "shock mounting" devices are shown and described in detail in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,800,578 (Falge); 2,910,577 (Bolmeyer); 3,025,390 (Woodcock); 3,050,621 (Spencer); 3,067,326 (Knapp); and 3,375,367 (Woodcock).
All six of the aforenoted forms of prior-art lamp "shock mounting" devices provide resilient means for mounting a so-called "sealed beam" lamp to a generally cup-shaped lamp housing that is, in turn, rigidly fastened to a motor vehicle. On the other hand, U.S. Pat. No. 3,225,189 (Pendell) shows a different prior-art form of lamp "shock mounting" device wherein the so-called "sealed beam" lamp is mounted in generally cup-shaped resilient member that is, in turn, directly fastened to the motor vehicle.
While the just-noted Pendell form of prior-art lamp "shock mounting" device may offer the advantages of superior vibration and shock isolation for the lamp claimed by its patentee over the previously-noted prior-art forms, its resilient generally cup-shaped member is not mounted within and not even partially covered by any protective lamp housing means and is thus exposed to attack from the atmosphere and, hence, tends to physically deteriorate more rapidly than those other prior-art forms.
The present invention is, among other things, concerned with providing a novel lamp "shock mounting" device which provides superior vibration and shock isolation for the lamp to that available with the first-mentioned prior-art forms of such devices, while also avoiding the just-noted disadvantage of the prior-art form of Pendell.